Lester Remained
by SolarLunar
Summary: Set between series 3 and 4. What went through Lester's head?


**Well hello there. I daresay many people won't know me/have forgotten about me as its been about 18 months since I last posted anything. Busy life, with Uni, dabbling with work and ore general writing. Anyway, I think I may have a brief period of rest so have decided I need to get disperse a few plot bunnies by writing them.  
One of them turned into this. Perhaps not as light hearted as some of my work, but it eased me back in. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Primeval. That hasn't changed.**

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He battled through the interviews, wondering how it got to this. He was in charge of a tiny department when Cutter had turned up, never in any danger of being investigated or criticised for anything worse than a large amount of printing and paper wasting. And even then, they wouldn't be first in line.

Less than two years later, he was sat across the table from some man who'd been dredged up from some depths in the service to go over others people's paperwork, cross-examine each version of accounts and ask why they didn't hold a committee meeting every time a dinosaur came through. As if that would save more people.

When Abby, Connor and Danny had gone, he continued as normal. When they hadn't returned in 2 hours, he began to get up without prompting to see if they'd appeared again, even though his secretary had said she'd phone through with any new information. By the end of the day, he was touring the ARC, trying to keep his mind busy.

He'd practically pushed her out that door that evening, saying he had to stay to deal with some forms that had resurfaced and he leave work when they were done. Instead, he found himself sitting at her desk, by the phone that he knew would ring if there was any news.

By 3 o'clock in the morning, there was still nothing. Captain Becker had been in touch twice to confirm such. He was eager to be go through, the tension in his voice rising every moment they weren't here.

The following day, he'd authorised it. A security team went through and found a nothing.

Half the team were gone. Lester, though, remained.

He authorised another mission. It found evidence of the trio, evidence of the future predators making their life harder. But no evidence of them.

A week past. There was still no evidence.

He authorised another mission. This one came back with less than it went with. Three men were missing and Sarah... Oh, Sarah! Lester looked upon her broken body and then looked up.

Most the team were gone. Lester remained.

He's never realised until that point that Abby and Connor were the only link he had to the original ragged group who had approached him all those years ago. In their place, he was just left with Becker, a man, for all his virtues, who was silent in his grief.

Lester knew he and Dr Paige had grown close. He himself vowed he never would again.

It was expected when the piece of paper fluttered onto his desk. No more ARC. It was expected when another floated in. Investigation.

Lester tried all the tricks he knew to stop it, but in the end, he was, after all, suited to being in charge of a tiny department. So what if it grew rather dramatically? It didn't change his skill set.

He'd gone home to his wife and children. They saw his stress, but could never quite comprehend how much he currently felt. After all, they'd only seen him two days a week and knew nothing of what he lost. They thought he mourned the loss of his job. He mourned the loss of his people.

When the ARC had been put back together, they'd immediately asked Lester to run it again.

So Lester remained.

But now the game had changed. Now, there was a business element. If Lester had wanted to spend his days sweet talking business men, he'd have gone into business. But still. Anything to make sure all that experience wasn't lost.

He'd insisted Becker came back. It was no surprise the other man hadn't quite got another job.

On hiring Jess, Lester can only imagine he saw a young Abby and jumped on the chance. He saw a pluckiness, an energy, a confidence that can only come from the young when they haven't worked out what they're doing wrong yet. He watched the flirting between her and Becker with interest. It glowed like Spring emerging from Winter. It would explain her dress sense.

On hiring Matt, Lester can only imagine he saw a Cutter. A man who had experience in something similar, but who now had the opportunity to launch himself into a new niche career and soar. And who, Lester felt, always seemed to know a little bit more than any else could understand. Even when he put a dinosaur in Lester's office, Lester was hard pressed to not be impressed with how he coped.

So the new team formed. And Lester remained.

Life became an automated drill. No longer did he have the eccentric scientists and whatever Danny was to cover his tracks. He was now the odd one, caught with one foot in the past, where that had made him fit in, and one foot in the present, where he had to be polished for Mr Philip Burton.

Lester could see Cutter facing the man down. Prospero wouldn't last a week in the face of that. But Cutter was gone. And Lester remained.

When Jess came in, shouting that Abby and Connor were back, Lester felt a new life come into him. Spring become Summer and Summer bloomed. The only cloud was waiting for Danny, but now Lester had hope. Hope he thought was foolish and gone. But then he had been foolish. Foolish to give up that hope. They were back.

He was no longer the remainder.

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 **Well, I hope a slightly more cheery ending. If you liked that, please check out my one-shot 'Can I come with you' which follows a similar vein.  
**

 **Please review. It's been a while since I've written any fanfic, so all comments would be greatly appreciated.**


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